Tiger Woods was recently arrested in Jupiter, Florida and charged with Driving Under the Influence after he was found asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle. His car was still running at the time of his arrest. What surprised many was the information that he did not have any alcohol in his system. Instead, he had combined a mix of painkillers which caused him to doze off behind the wheel. I know what you may be thinking, "How can you get a DUI when you haven't consumed any alcohol. What kind of weird, crazy, legislative madness is Florida up to?" I'm here to let you know that, at least in this situation, Florida isn't as crazy as you may think. In Section 18.2-266(ii) of the Virginia Co

16 and 17 year old drivers are three times as likely to be involved in a fatal crash as drivers 18 and older. Fatal teen crashes increased by more than 10 percent from 2015 to 2016. During the summer is the most dangerous time for teen drivers. Driving is a big responsibility and a big step in a lot of teens' lives. In order to make sure that transition from rider to driver is a smooth one, Virginia has some laws in place that teen drivers should be aware of to stay safe on the road this summer. 1. Passenger Restrictions - If a driver is under age 18, that driver may carry only one passenger under age 21, unless accompanied by a licensed parent, or other adult acting in place of a parent

In Virginia, there is a point system used that can negatively or positively impact your driving record. This point system is used to determine insurance rates and is also used by the court system. Outlined below is some general information about the DMV point system and how it operates. Demerit Points - These are assigned when you are convicted of a traffic violation and remain valid two years from the date that you commit the offense. Some more serious offenses will stay on your driving record longer than two years and if you have a commercial driver's license can even remain on your driving record permanently. Each time that you commit a traffic offense, DMV adds additional demerit

You have the absolute right to appeal any final decision made in General District Court, but you must act quickly. After your case has been heard and the judge has made a final decision you have ten days to note your appeal with the clerk. As part of your appeal, you will receive a new trial in front of a new judge in Circuit Court. Once your appeal has been filed the ruling of the General District Court judge and all court costs are erased. It will be as if you have not yet been to court for the matter. Your court costs will be higher in Circuit Court and there is no guarantee that you will receive a better outcome. In some cases the outcome may be worse than it was in General Distr

Being pulled over for speeding is certainly an event that can ruin your day. Don't let it ruin your insurance rates by arguing with the police officer that stopped you. Never at trial have I heard a police officer say, "Your Honor, after making the stop this gentleman got right in my face and made some great points, I'd like to dismiss the case." What I do hear at trial all the time is reckless driving and speeding charges being reduced because a driver was polite and cooperative with the officer during the traffic stop. When you are pulled over, it is important to remain calm and say as little as possible, you won't be able to convince the police officer that you weren't speeding and the m